Hi there! My name is
Ian Mackenzie
Randburg, South_africa
Synopsis
Andrew Mason returns to South Africa, war weary and riddled with guilt over the death of his wife Alyson. Spiralling towards the grip of alcoholism he takes refuge in an isolated cabin in the picturesque environment of the South African bushveld, but he knows he can’t hide forever. There are ghosts in his past that have returned to haunt him and he sets off on a mission to clear his name. South Africa is governed under a flawed and internationally condemned political system, the sustainability of which is questionable at best and Mason unwittingly stumbles upon a web of deceit on a scale that has unexpected political ramifications. Against his will but by necessity, Andy is once again faced with having to fight for survival under conditions where his skill and training as a Special Forces combatant are tested to their limits.
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Synopsis
Andrew Mason, an ambitious young banking executive, is seemingly unphased by politics and the undercurrent of racial animosity in his native South Africa
Confident, Scholar Cum Laude, gifted sportsman and the son of an affluent family, his swift rise up the corporate ladder seems inevitable. Until, as if having conspired with destiny, two unrelated events intersect to change the course of his future, and within days his well balanced life is abruptly and brutally transformed
Andy is falsely accused of a breach of confidence and unethical conduct within his working environment and is simultaneously called upon by a distraught girl friend needing to reach her parents in her homeland of war torn Rhodesia.
Mason is wholly unprepared for the tragedy that follows and he is left bewildered and traumatized in a country ripped apart by the affects of political intransigence and civil war.
His corporate ambitions in disarray and his emotions in a state of confusion, Andrew enrols in the Rhodesian military where he evolves to become a hardened and ruthless combatant with the elite SAS.
By force of circumstance, through the horrors and tragedies of war, Andy finds himself living two separate lives; one amid the acrid smell of burnt cordite, danger, brutality, sudden death and survival alongside his comrades in “The Squadron” and the other in the overpoweringly intoxicating arms of Alyson Carstens, the spoilt and protected daughter of wealthy parents.
Returning wounded from an ill-fated mission, Andy learns that Alyson is pregnant and they decide to marry. However, on their wedding night, a devastating incident has a dramatic impact on their union, which ultimately exposes an underlying secret liaison of deceit and betrayal with far reaching and catastrophic consequences.
The tragedy of the times is symbolized in Andy’s prosperity, his courage in the face of adversity and the progressive downward spiral as everything he fought for and believes in gradually crumbles.
As one heartbreak follows another, Andrew’s emotional strength is sapped and his decline into alcoholism and despair leaves him vulnerable and reckless.
Synopsis
Andrew Mason; Scholar cum laude, ambitious young banking executive, with an affluent family background. He stands set to sail up the ladder of corporate success and there is nothing to stop him.
Until, as if through conspiracy with destiny, two unrelated events occur within days of each other and his ideal life is suddenly and brutally transformed.
Andy is falsely accused of a breach of confidence and unethical conduct within his working environment and is simultaneously called upon to help a distraught girl friend needing to reach her parents in her homeland of war torn Rhodesia.
Mason is wholly unprepared for the tragedy that follows and he is left bitter and angry in a land ripped apart by racial injustice, political intransigence and civil war.
His corporate ambitions in tatters and his emotions in disarray, Andrew enrols in the Rhodesian military where he evolves to become a hardened and ruthless combatant with the elite Special Air Services.
By force of circumstance, through the horrors and tragedies of war, Andy finds himself living two separate lives; one amid the acrid smell of burnt cordite, danger, brutality, sudden death and survival among his comrades in “The Squadron” and the other in the intoxicating arms of Alyson Carstens, the spoilt and protected daughter of wealthy and influential parents.
Returning wounded from an ill-fated mission, Andy learns that Alyson is pregnant and they decide to marry. However, on their wedding night, a devastating incident has a dramatic impact on their union, which inevitably exposes an underlying secret liaison of deceit and betrayal with far reaching and catastrophic consequences.
The tragedy of the times is symbolized in Andy’s prosperity, his courage in the face of adversity and the progressive downward spiral as everything he fought for and believes in gradually crumbles.
As one heartbreak follows another, Andrew’s emotional strength is sapped and his decline into alcoholism leaves him vulnerable and reckless.
Synopsis
A story set in Rhodesia during the 1970s. They were the best of times and the worst of times. A time of forced political change and the battle to keep things as they were. This powerful, fast moving novel will enthrall as much as it will enlighten.
An accidental soldier’s life of danger, love and tragedy.
About Me
Ian Mackenzie was born in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa and grew up in Johannesburg. He was educated at Queen’s College in Queenstown and Parktown Boys High in Johannesburg. He studied business administration and accounting and enjoyed success in his early career in the financial industry.
He served with the Rhodesian military from 1975 to 1980 during the hostilities of the bush war and later ran his own business as an administrative consultant.
He has two grown up sons in their 30s
Favorite Things
| Charity | Animal | |
| Coffee | Filter | |
| Book | Many | |
| Superhero | None | |
| Movie | Many | |
| App | None | |
| Video Game | None | |
| Musical | Sound of Music | |
| Ice Cream | Vanilla |
Q&A with Vincent
How would you increase literacy?Read more
What are the ingredients for a blockbuster story to you?Passion, intrigue, romance & adventure
What are your top stories that entertain and/or inspire you?Too many to list
Do you have any advice to aspiring writers?Don't allow outside influences to discourage you. Be yourself and bring out your best
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?From reading Enid Blyton's Famous Five as a child